The Mad Hatter
by Stitchpunk-Bloodwolf
Summary: 703 is mad. Crazy mad. With a smile on her face bigger than the ax she carries, she travels this 'Creator-forsaken world', looking for... Well, nothing. Just to see how mad the world is in her eyes. T for language and well, 703 herself.
1. Mad

Hi there! Me again! My second story! :D

I'm still working on Blood and Stitches but this story was digging inside of my head, so I had to write it out.

R&R please!

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The Mad Hatter

Chapter 1 Mad

_Two… _

_I know you'll be the first person reading this, so could you perhaps gather everyone and read these words? What I have to say… Let's just say it needs to be heard throughout the Sanctuary. _

_Did you get everyone? Let's begin._

_Well, well… I had never thought that I would be saying this to you. Or any of you, for that matter. But it had to be said. Mind you, what I'm saying is the complete truth, and it might be harsh…_

_But there's nothing like a little improvement, now is there? _

_I hate this place. I hate every single nook and cranny of this Creator-Forsaken Hellhole. Honestly, I can't even fathom how I can even possibly stay sane for this long. _

_Yesterday, Nine met up with me in the workshop when Two and Five were gone. He was ranting on and on about how much this place was perfect and how we needed everyone's cooperation to make this place 'better for all stitchpunks'. I never wanted to punch his face in so much until that very moment._

_But he's not the only one that needed some major work:_

_One: You claim to be a leader. You claim to be our salvation, our hero. Yet it seems like you did nothing to earn that title. What have you done? Besides kill one of your own? Yeah, I've heard the story. You do nothing but cower behind your fool of a guard, and sit upon your throne of lies. You're a coward. Hiding behind your own lies that you fabricate with your very soul._

_Two: …You raised me. You taught me everything I know. You also said to me that I should be a leader, not a follower. How does it feel to be a hypocrite? You follow One blindly. And yet… You were rewarded with death. Just to please your so called 'brother'. Two… You are the best thing this place ever had. Don't let One ruin it.. That's my advice to you._

_Three, Four: What can I really say about you two? Other than two scurrying rats that some how end up where you're not wanted. Someday, that'll bite you in the ass. Big time. Your cute appetence won't matter to those that dare haunt you. Your minds hold knowledge dear to the long dead humans, but what good does it do for us? It's hard to repeat mistakes that never belong to us in the first place. _

_Five: Grow a damn backbone. For once grow consideration for yourself rather than others. Maybe you might actually survive next time. You know pain. You know horror. You know agony. Be proud of that. You've seen more things with one eye than most have with two. But that pain has consumed you. Turned you weak. Perhaps it was the pain, perhaps it was just One, it doesn't matter. Think for yourself. _

_Six: You're crazy. There's no two ways about it. Yet you were always… Intriguing. It's a shame no one listens to you. You've always had potential. Speak for once. Maybe someone will listen. Your eyes have known not much other than your paper and visions that consume you. Look up. At the sun, hidden behind the dusty clouds. That is your ink. And this world is your canvas. Use it._

_Seven: You're a bitch. A rebellious tyrant. You stand for yourself, which is good. But how long can that mask last? What'll happen if it breaks? Listen doll, you take away your spear and your helmet, and what do you have? Another weak doll. You put on this act to try and stand against a corrupt leader. Over time you depended on that act. Without it, your weak._

_Eight: Big, stupid and gullible. You probably can't understand half these words in this letter. You're better off not knowing. You magnet- addict. You use one's status to get what ever you want. Take away your sword and your magnet and you're nothing._

_And last but never least, Nine: As I stated before, I hate you. You're too naïve. You have a Pandora Complex the size of One's ego. You need to listen to my words, fool, living in this world with your eyes as tightly shut as yours won't get you anywhere. This place is hell. You need to realize that. You can put plenty of pretty bows on this place and say it's home. But it'll always remain Hell. _

_Why am I saying this? What happened to the innocent little 703 you knew not long ago? She's still here. She's just opened her eyes. She saw the world for what it truly is. How? I don't need a reason. There is no such thing as a 'sanctuary'. Here, or anywhere else for that matter. You all need to see this, as well._

_Heh. Your little girl's gone mad. _

_How does that make you feel?_

_You might never see me again. If you do, it's most likely going to be my stitched up body, molding on the ground. With a huge grin on my face._

_Goodbye and farewell. Fools. _

_---_

703 sneaked into the workshop with the dreadful letter in hand. To was sleeping on the workbench, hands gripping on a trinket that he previously was working on. He looked so peaceful. 703 chuckled. He won't be for long. She placed the letter on the bench and placed a rock paperweight on it. Two twitched and 703 froze. He shuffled for a bit, but then calmed back down. 703 walked out with a huge grin plastered on her face and without any regrets.

When she finally walked outside the church, she tensed. She promised herself that she wouldn't turn around to face the life she's leaving behind. But she did. She whirled around to stare at the place she's called home for most of her life. She thought this whole tough-girl façade would evaporate quickly and she would abort the whole plane and forget this ever happened.

She only smiled and gave a loud roaring laugh.

703 has truly gone mad.

She turned to face the road ahead of her and started walking, chuckling the entire way.


	2. Names

The Mad Hatter

Chapter 2: Names

The Mad Hatter.

703 chuckles every time that name is mentioned. A un-amused chuckle. She never particularly liked that given nickname. She never had an interest in hats, nor would she ever try one.

Yet the name clings to her like a parasite. It's actually quite troublesome for the young stitchpunk.

She remembers clearly how she got the name too.

It was about a few months after she left and she was traveling in a desolate town far from the Sanctuary. She then heard howls not far off. Howls of Wolfbane. More than one of them, she assumed. Not long after that, she heard screams of other stitchpunks. Presumably, under attack by the said Wolfbane. 703 let out a mad chuckle and dashed towards the pack of machines.

To this day, she's still not sure how the Hell she manage to do it, but the four-or-so Wolfbane fell under her with just her makeshift ax she fashioned out of two razorblades, a wire, and a strong stick. But she did it. Laughing the entire time. In the corner of her eye, she spotted a necklace I the shape of an ax, hanging off the neck of the Alpha of the pack. She smiled as she took the pendant and fastened it around her neck, smiling and chuckling.

When the stitchpunks came to her, offering their thanks, she only smiled and chuckled, "I didn't do this for you," She said, laughing, "I did this 'cause this mad world asked me to!" She roared. Looking at their terrified expression, she smiled and walked off. Not before hearing the silent murmurs of 'she's crazy' and 'madder than a Hatter…'

And from that day forward she was known as The Mad Hatter.

She still doesn't know how the name spread across the Emptiness like a plague. Her only fear is that it somehow gotten to the Sanctuary. It would probably give Two a heart attack if he heard the stories. But if she wanted to get rid of the name, she would of already done so. Just swing her ax in a certain direction it'll most likely stop. So far she had only worn it with a smile.

A crazy smile, but nonetheless.

"703!"

"Ah," 703 chuckled in the back of the caravan she traveled with, "The morning ritual begins."

Then in comes Kaheel, a stitchpunk trader. He and his wife, Alyssa, travel the Emptiness trading whatever that's in their caravan. Anything from metal scrap, burlap, fabric, and thread. Essentially, anything valuable to stitchpunks. 703's only been in the caravan three months, and the only reason she's traveling with them is that they have no intention of going to the Sanctuary. At least for now. When that's decided, she'll leave. No questions asked.

"Okay, _you," Kaheel panted as he rampaged though her personal cart. He looked at703 with raging anger enough to put even One to shame._

_One of the very reasons 703 hated him. She chuckled, "Hello, Kaheel." She looked up from the ax she was polishing and placed it on the wall behind her. "Where's your wife? Or did you just come here to yell at me?" She smiled._

"_Don't play nice with me," He snarled. 703 raised a stitched-up brow, but was not intimidated. She's seen better. "Did you leave the caravan last night?" He forcefully asked. 703 gave him her too-frequent chuckle that was already getting on Kaheel's last nerve. "Answer me, damn it!"_

"_No." She said simply. Her grin was enough to drive him over the edge. "I have not." _

"_You're lying, you pile of mad rags." He scoffed. _

"_I am not lying, nor do I have a reason to." 703 chuckled as she stood up. She smiled at him, "Besides, wasn't it our deal that you would not ask questions even if I did leave?" She stated. Chuckling, of course. _

_Kaheel grunted and punched the wall, defeated. She was right. He wouldn't ask. 703 tilted her head, grinning. "What did I allegedly do to earn your distrust this time?" She asked, not that she cared. _

_He turned his head and told her to sit. Normally, she wouldn't do it but this time she allowed herself, along with Kaheel. He placed his gold-plated hands together, as if praying. "Do you know of the next town we were going to?"_

_703 shrugged, "Of course," she said, chuckling, "Haven. The second most successful stitchpunk settlement in the Emptiness." Next to the Sanctuary, but she didn't mention it. _

"_Yes…" He sighed, letting his head down. "When… when I sent my scouts over there, they felt… eerie… So they walked in…"_

"_Okay. And?" She said, with an impatient cackle._

"_And… They said that… they found the residents of the settlement…" His voice started to break into a whisper. _

"_They found them what? Speak up."_

_He was silent for a bit before finally speaking, "…Massacred." he said his head eye to eye with the floor. _

_They grew silent and 703 gave a low cackle. Kaheel grunted but said noting, he was used to 703's frequent cackles, chuckles and laughs. "Was there any evidence of foul play?" 703 asked. _

_Kaheel shook his head, "…The scouts left the minute they saw the bodies."_

"_So you pretty much just assumed that I had done it? Killed an entire colony?" Kaheel said nothing. 703 chuckled, "Next time, don't assume. It makes an ass out of you and me." _

_Kaheel stood in rage, "That's all you can say?!" He yelled, "I tell you that an entire colony has been killed and that's all you can say?!"_

"_Well what do you want me to say?" 703 said with a grin, "The dead don't need words. I knew none of these people and they need no sympathy from me, just because they are dead."_

_Kaheel grunted again as he stood up and headed to the door way, "Well then you can stay in the cart tomorrow."_

"_We're still going? To a ghost town?" 703 chuckled as she watching him at the doorway, "You can't do much business with the dead." _

_Kaheel only sighed as he turned around to face the mad stitchpunk, "…We'll just be cleaning up."_

_703 chuckled, "Of course." She nodded as Kaheel finally stepped out, "Someone has too." _


	3. Death

Sorry! Sory for the looooong wait... I seem to have a block around the second entry...

Oh, well... Here's more for what it's worth...

The Mad Hatter

Ch.3 Death

The Motor Rams came to an abrupt stop upon hearing a "Halt!" sound from Kaheel. 703 stood up in her cabin and walked out, feeling the dust-filled wind brushing her. She enjoyed that one simple thing in the Emptiness. One sane feeling in a world of madness. And she took it all in with a chuckle. Several, in fact.

Not far from the head of the caravan stood a large ominous building humans once called a museum. Tall, marble pillars marked the entrance of the structure, giving off a eerie, almost unnatural aura.

Death.

Oh, how it amused the mad doll. 703 peered to the building with a smile. This place, Haven, was know for it's top-notch security system, using the remains of the museum artifacts such as old weapons, machines and even old skeletal beasts, to scare off intruders stupid enough to be fooled by them. It's what keeps the settlement going and bring more people.

Yet it wasn't good enough. It didn't keep from the entire town from being massacred. 703 smiled as she strode off the steps of the small hut and took the sight in.

Nearby her hut stood Kaheel, shouting orders to his scouts. He's barely audible is high tones, but his scouts understood him well enough. They were shivering in their burlap. 703 cackled and walked toward the line next to Kaheel.

"…And I don't want any of you to run out of that place pissin' your selves!" Kaheel, in all his glory, shouted to the other sentries. 703 chuckled and stood near him, hearing all the scared gasps of the scouts.

"It'll be pretty hard for them to do that," 703 chortled, "You should be more… Forceful. Like…" She waltzed up in front of the line and grinned, " 'If any of you run like pussies and disobey Kaheel's orders, I'll make sure to deal with you personally.' " She gave them a grin in which she hopes the scout's will never forget.

And they never did. They scattered to their posts with haste and Kaheel snickered behind her. "Well, well… I might hate you worst then an army of Hosts and Wolfbane, but you do know how to straiten up my troupe." He grunted. Complimenting her left a bad taste in his mouth, if he had taste buds, that is.

703 watched as the scouts scattered and chuckled, "It is fun, watching them scatter like roaches." She mused and Kaheel sighed. She then narrowed her eyes, peering at the ominous building, "This place is know for it's security." 703 said simply, a big smile spread across her face, "How is it that these supposed murderers got past their precious protection?"

Kaheel turned his head, the metal rings attached clinging to each other, "Well, it's nothing but a few traps and illusions. Impressive ones, but not perfect." He said, scratching the back of his head.

703 nodded. That was all she needed. "When are you going in?"

"In about fifteen." He replied. "I still need to talk to Alyssa. She keeps insisting to come with…"

"Then let her." 703 turned to face Kaheel, "It is just a dead city." She smiled.

He scowled at her, "Right, and I suppose that it's okay to let my wife see an entire village dead?"

703 cackled, "Kaheel, you sniveling idiot, death veers his ugly head more often than a Wolfbane ambush. If your wife hasn't seen it, then she's just as worthless as dust." Upon hearing 703's harsh words, Kaheel narrowed his eyes and stepped forward toward 703, but in response she took a step and blocked Kaheel, peering at him with her mad, almost deadly optics, "Keep your head, fool, lest you wish to lose it."

703's smile grew wider, "Now, I am not insulting Alyssa. As a matter of fact, I like her, which is pretty rare, considering I rarely like anyone, but…" She veered her head closer to Kaheel's, "to avoid death, you only invite him closer. If anything, your wife needs this. And if anything jumps from the shadows, I will be sure to kill it. After all, I have shaken Death's hand on more than one occasion. 'Tis not that hard." She ended her mad rant with one of her infamous chuckles.

Kaheel grunted, but ultimately said nothing. He knew better than to argue with the Mad Hatter.

Upon the gates of the once massive human building stood a small group of stitchpunks, including 703, Kaheel, and Alyssa. Standing in front of the large wooden gates, 703 grunted at Kaheel's reluctance. He was so eager to go before, now he's even hesitating to go before the front steps.

Then again, he had to bring his wife. Alyssa, her beautiful, silver optics narrow and still, glided to 703's side, observing the gates. "Beautiful, no?" Alyssa asked in her almost angelic voice, "Zero-Kappa, the leader of this unfortunate town, chose this place well…"

703 smiled, but scoffed, "Not well enough, obviously." 703 turned her head to the doll and cackled, noticing Alyssa's too warm tone, "Aren't we a little too… preppy for an occasion like this?" She asked.

"Hm? Oh, well. Honestly, it's not like anything will rise from the dead and kill me." She replied. She turned around to look at her husband, who was still standing near the front steps. Alyssa sighed.

703 looked her up and down and grinned, "You will never know though." She rose her brow and smiled, "Why are you here anyway?"

Alyssa shrugged, "I guess I'm just curious. I had friends in there, good people, with children. I just want to know who would do such a thing." Her tone held something vicious in 703's ears. She couldn't help but give a small chuckle. Alyssa sighed, composing herself.

703 grunted, "Well, you might not be able to find your answers today… Then again, I have seen things." She mused. Out of whim, 703 looked down to her ebony hands. Gloveless. She normally wore gloves, why 703 never knew, but she found it rather odd. 703 shrugged and looked at the door, "Kaheel, you fat pig, stop your hesitance and get over here. My patience grow thin." She yelled at the hesitating stitchpunk. Alyssa chuckled a bit to herself before striding to her husband.

Kaheel, with a grunt, finally strode to the mad dolls side, not letting his guard down. Small reflex when it comes to 703. "Alright…"

"About time." 703 cackled. "Can we go in yet? A dust storm is brewing and I wish not to have sand in my inner workings."

Kaheel ignored her complaint and signaled two of his guards to open the gate. The guards visibly winced as they touched the door. As it slowly creaked open, a small gust of chilling wind blow toward the group. Kaheel and Alyssa both winced. It felt like death. 703 didn't even move. If she was affected, she surly didn't show it.

Kaheel swallowed air, looking at the hallway of the dead, dark town. He sighed, "Alright. Let's go."


End file.
